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Batman: Earth One Vol. 1 (Batman:Earth One series) Kindle & comiXology

by Geoff Johns (Author), Gary Frank (Illustrator, Artist) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,314 ratings
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller!

Batman is not a hero.

He is just a man.

Fallible, vulnerable and angry.

In a Gotham City where friend and foe are indistinguishable, Bruce Wayne's path toward becoming the Dark Knight is riddled with more obstacles than ever before. Focused on punishing his parents' true killers, and the corrupt police that allowed the criminals to go free, Bruce Wayne's thirst for vengeance fuels his mad crusade and no one, not even Alfred, can stop him.

In the tradition of the #1 NEW YORK TIMES best-selling SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE, writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank re-imagine a new mythology for the Dark Knight, where the familiar is no longer the expected in this long-awaited original graphic novel from DC Comics.
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  1. Part of Series
    Batman: Earth One
  2. Print length
    142 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
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  5. Publisher
    DC
  6. Publication date
    December 2, 2014
  7. File size
    391596 KB
  8. Page Flip
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  9. Word Wise
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  10. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: An Omnivoracious Interview with Geoff Johns
In the world of superhero comics, there remains one origin above all others, no matter how many times it is retold: an alley, a family, a gun, and a criminal, Batman's origin is as terrifying as they come. Today, Geoff Johns, superstar scribe and DC's Chief Creative Officer, leaves a notable mark on the character by taking it in a new direction in Batman: Earth One, a re-imagining of the Batman mythos from the ground floor. To celebrate the book's release day, Geoff Johns answered a few questions about his version of Batman's origin, and he provided two exclusive pages to the new graphic novel (available after the jump).

Omnivoracious.com: Batman: Earth One puts a modern-day spin on Batman's origin. What facets of Batman (and Bruce Wayne) did you focus on modernizing?

Geoff Johns: I think the image on the cover says it all--we wanted to see his eyes. Most of the time, Batman's eyes are white in the comics. We wanted to make this more about a flawed, vulnerable, troubled young guy who is on an arguably insane mission of revenge. So I'm not sure it's modernizing so much as humanizing. Gary and I pulled everything back. He's not the Batman who can tear about 30 S.W.A.T. team members without breaking a sweat. He's not the Batman who has invented a Batmobile. There is no Batmobile. He's got a car with tinted windows. He hasn't even thought of the idea of a Batmobile yet. You see in the very first pages what he carries in his utility belt.

It's more about Bruce than Batman. And his journey parallels a lot of the other main characters in the series—once you survive a tragedy someone else hasn’t, where does your life go? How does that affect you? One character in particular has given up. This is about learning to never give up.

Omni: What sets Batman: Earth One apart from any other "early" Bat-tales, such as Year One and The Long Halloween?

Geoff Johns: Batman's not the best as what he does. Alfred's relationship with Bruce, Bruce's mother, Bruce's mission, the cops, Gotham's streets, the secret in the basement, the red dirt and the police man from Los Angeles. It's just a different take on the character.

Omni: What Batman characters were you particularly excited about modernizing?

Geoff Johns: Alfred and the police. Their stories will speak for themselves, I think.

Omni: While you've written Batman in Justice League, this is your first time writing him in a solo story. What would you say is the most important part to understanding the Dark Knight?

Geoff Johns: Understanding Bruce. I think, unfortunately, we all understand loss. And this is loss at its very core. A boy and his parents. How you fill that bottomless pit inside you is a bit of a fruitless journey. But Bruce comes to a very big revelation within the story that ultimately changes what Batman is to him and, I think, us.

Omni: What differed in writing a solo Batman story as opposed to writing him as part of an ensemble?

Geoff Johns: I absolutely loved working with Gary on this because of the singular universe. We built everything from the ground up without having to worry about other stories or other takes on the characters. It could be all ours to re-imagine. And with the page count. We were able to tell our whole story, dive deeper into the characters and create a stand alone graphic novel series starring an entirely new Batman.

Omni: You've worked with Gary Frank before on Superman: Secret Origin and Superman: Brainiac, amongst other superhero-centric graphic novels. What is it about his style that continues this working relationship?

Geoff Johns: Gary does emotion like no one else can. The subtleties in what Gary's art conveys, along with the power, mystery, strength and drama, it's unmatched. Our styles mesh very well together. Every single project we've ever worked on together has turned out greater than I could've imagined. Gary Frank is a true master of his craft, graphic storytelling and character. He brings as much soul to the story as he does to the art and Batman: Earth One would not have worked without him.

From Booklist

Johns, writer of DC’s flagship title, Justice League, and current creative spearhead of their entire universe, is no stranger to collecting vast mythologies into focused narratives. He and Frank did a superlative job of just that in the recent Superman: Secret Origins. Here, Johns strategically remixes elements of the Batman mythos, laying out his quest for vengeance against a corrupt system in a way that narrows the spotlight on the character’s obsession. The Penguin is recast as Gotham City’s crooked mayor, Alfred is reinvented as a tough-as-nails ex-Royal Marine, and Bruce Wayne is tied to the city in deeper, more gothically psychological ways. Like the first in DC’s line of beautifully bound, more realistic reimaginings, Superman: Earth One (2010), however, this one falls short of a revelatory reexamination of what makes its hero resonant, settling instead for a tweaked but comfortably familiar retelling. If anything, it is Frank’s gorgeously lush art that stands out here, putting genuine emotion on faces, conveying the impact of fist against body, and supplying a palpable texture for costumes and environments. --Jesse Karp

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008J0A4K4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ DC; Reprint edition (December 2, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 2, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 391596 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 142 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,314 ratings

About the author

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Geoff Johns

Geoff Johns

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Geoff Johns is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling writer, film and television producer, showrunner, and entrepreneur known for re-imagining superheroes and other iconic mythologies, past and present. Johns is best known for his work on properties such as Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Flash, Superman, Batman, Justice Society of America, and most recently, the creator-owned hit series Geiger, currently being adapted for television at Paramount.

Since the beginning of his creative career, Johns' hallmark has been writing heroic and inclusive characters, including teenage hero Courtney Whitmore aka Stargirl, inspired by his real-life late sister; the Shazam Family, which he re-imagined into a diverse modern family of today; and the first Arab-American Green Lantern, Simon Baz, as well as the explosive multi-colored Lantern mythology that defined his decade-long bestselling Green Lantern run, among many, many others.

Johns’ most recognized work in television is the critically acclaimed Stargirl series which he created and ran. Some of his film credits include Wonder Woman (executive producer), Wonder Woman 1984 (also co-writer), Aquaman (also story) and Shazam! (executive producer), based on his graphic novel with longtime collaborator and modern legendary artist Gary Frank.

In 2023, Johns co-founded Ghost Machine, the first-of-its-kind creator-owned company. This groundbreaking collective includes some of the industry’s most legendary writers and artists, disrupting the old industry model by giving ownership to its creators, and paving the way for them to retain creative control and financial participation.

Born in Detroit to a Lebanese father, Johns was honored with his own permanent section at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
2,314 global ratings
Not my cup of tea
4 Stars
Not my cup of tea
Hmmm... I'm a long time Batman reader/fan and can appreciate the different takes that writers have on the Batman mythos, but....Geoff John's here is trying to reinvent the wheel in this storyline and it's not for the better. There are SOoO many OTHER Bat books out there-The Long Halloween, Europa, Hush, Year One, to name a few. I wouldn't waste my time or dollars on this one.
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Top reviews from the United States

Medraut
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Batman
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2012
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I have to admit at first I was a bit hesitant about this work. I wondered if Johns could do Batman. After he did Superman so well. (wish he was still doing him outside of JLA). Sure he has had dark and tragic elements but there is always that silver lining. This is partly due to Superman's uplifting nature. But I read this book and my 'fears' were unfounded. This was a dark work to a degree. Johns and Frank are the perfect combination of writer and artist. Each doing their part to tell the story. With Johns it would take him a few sentences to tell us who a charterer is. He has that real sense of how people talk. There is the quirky humor, the tragic elements, and so on. Frank can really show the depth of emotion to a person. Simply by facial expressions and they way the chatures act and look. Gordon is a good example of this, but I will get back to that. Since this is another 'universe' I did not feel it was his Batman Secret Origin. Although I did feel it was touching on some elements of Year One. However, I didn't feel it was his version of Year One either. But there is that base. Just as I feel that he is using elements from the Nolan verse. In point of fact. Am I alone in feeling that Alfred looks superciliously a lot like Lieam Niessan? Over all I found the story interesting. The first few pages are jarring to a regular batman fan. This is not the batman you are more familur with. Who was well trained by many people over a course of a few years. Before Year One Bruce trained himself. That was good for the Batman of that area. Also Alfred being an experience soldier would give him at least some fighting experience to pass on. But still Bruce doesn't come off as the Batman we are familiar with. Sure in Year One he was an amateur as he himself admitted. But he got better. He practiced built his way up. Here I think he just isn't ready. He is working his way to becoming the legend. I don't feel he is a familiar. It's that he just isn't there yet. He needs to focus more. He is just starting to go on his way on his journey. Its not the batman we are familiar with but thats not a bad thing. He feels more human in that he dosent allways do things right. Sometimes batman gets away with too much stuff in comics. Oh he's batman he could easily get out of such and such situation. He could easily do such and such thing. Johns dares to say no he cant. He is human he can make mistakes like everyone. I like this! We need more of this! Snyder has a bit of this to a degree. There are other things were Bruce is just not seeing things. But I wont go too into that. Moving on. I also liked the angle of Bruce being related to the arkhams. It is first mentioned that Martha works to cure the mentally ill. I didn't think of anything of that at first. (it reminded me a bit of a book I have read about, but not read. Batman the Ultimate Evil. Where Martha worked to stop child pornography). I felt it was a noble cause that she was doing. Something that Bruce would inherit. That noble spirit. But then I read the arkham reference. I turned back the pages and reread the original statements. It all made sense. The element was there being set up I just didn't see it. there are other examples of this. Setting us up for when we actually see it. It is interesting to have Bruce connected to Arkham like that. For one thing it makes us question his own sanity. Even more then before. The Arkham history is different here but still same elements. Also this is the FIRST time I have EVER heard Martha being given a maiden name. How come no one else ever thought of giving her one? As for Cobblepot as mayor. Returns and the Adam West show both had him attempt it. To actually see him as mayor is interesting. It's the type of 'respectability' Penguin wants in the comics and now gets. It also lets the audience now how rotten things are in the state of Gotham. But Johns dosent always relay on well known villeins. The Birthday Boy is a good example. Who by the by scared the Frak out of me!!! would not want to be alone in a room with him (especially since my bday is coming up. Lol). Now getting back to Gordon. I felt so deeply sorry and sad for him. Here again we see Johns using the base of Year One and Begins. Gordon the good man in a town so corrupt that there is nothing he can do to change it. Johns takes that and builds upon it. He is a bit different here, but its understandable why he is that way. Seeing him like this was again something that made him three dimensional. Id did like Bullock in this one. A nice new twist on the charterer. so in conclusion buy this book buy it now!
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Alex Lamberd
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow......
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
Let me just say that coming into this, I had very high expectations. After reading all the reviews, I decided to give it a go and see how I'd like it. I'm glad I listened to the reviews.

The story is like what Christopher Nolan did to the Batman franchise by grounding it in realism (although the book sits more between being comic booky and realistic). Geoff Johns gives us an interesting re-imagining of the Dark Knight in which Bruce never leaves Gotham and Batman is not the flawless crime-fighter we all know him to be. I have to say that Johns has given us one of the coolest interpretations of Alfred I have ever seen; it's almost enough to make us want a solo-Alfred book. Johns handles the narrative really well (some characters are handled very interestingly) and leaves things with you wanting to read more.

And then there is the art. Gary Frank has got to be one of the best artists out there. His handle of human anatomy is so on point, you have to wonder if he didn't have people act these scenes out in real life so he could see what they'd look like. I wouldn't say he's flawless, but damn, is he good. Frank and Johns together make a novel that's narratively engaging and visually pleasing that you can't help but wait for Vol. 2.

If you have any interest in Batman, the Dark Knight movies, or are a Batman fan who is looking from something new, this is a great place to look.
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Jake Trovillion
5.0 out of 5 stars A Promising New Start For Batman
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2015
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Batman's first venture into costumed crimefighting is a story that's already been told before, and told well, most notably in Batman: Year One and Batman: Zero Year. But Earth One remains fresh and intriguing from start to finish, and is a worthy retelling of the Caped Crusader's origins.

The main draw of this book (as well as one of its critics' chief complaints) is that it shows Batman as human and and flawed, and then slowly shows his progression into the Batman we've all come to know. This is a very down to earth portrayal of Batman, and honestly that's why I like this story so much. He's not a ridiculous badass who knows every martial art in the world, speaks a dozen languages, and has advanced degrees in forensic science, chemistry, criminal psychology, and engineering like his mainstream counterpart. He's a moderately skilled fighter trained by a former British marine in hand-to-hand combat who has to initially rely on luck, wits, and sometimes faulty gadgets. In Volume 2, he has to ask Gorgon to train him in basic criminal investigation after he realizes that punching people can't solve all his problems, as opposed to the usual incarnation of Batman who is usually hailed as the World's Greatest Detective. And he isn't a stalwart paragon of moral virtue; initially he just wants revenge for the murder of his parents, but slowly comes to realize that he's not the only one who has suffered at the hands of Gotham's criminal element, and resolves to protect the innocent. I love this interpretation because the main appeal of Batman is that he's supposed to be an ordinary, if exceptionally talented, man who regularly goes up against impossible odds and still comes out on top, but all too often Bruce Wayne is portrayed as being so over-the-top intelligent and tough that it strains believability and edges him near Marty Stu territory. This book brings the Batman legend back to basics and then modernizes a lot of concepts.

The best part of Earth One, however, has got to be Alfred. What Frank Miller's Year One did for Gordon, Earth One does for Alfred. He's a fully fleshed out, three-dimensional character here, maybe even moreso than Bruce himself, but he's also been given a series rehaul. This time around, he's drawn to resemble a mixture of Sean Connery and Christopher Lee, and reflects his new design with a new attitude. He's tough as nails and possibly the biggest badass in the book, having been the one who trained Batman in fighting in this retelling. What stands out most, though, is his loving and well written fatherly relationship with Bruce, who is a frustrated and angry young man who feels lost in the world. Alfred is the one who grounds him in reality and lifts his spirit, in a gruff, cranky sort of way. Also of note here is this book's interpretations of Harvey Bullock and Penguin, but I don't want to give away too much of the plot.

All in all, this is an excellent revamp of the Dark Knight Mythos, and the series only gets better with Volume 2. I eagerly await the continuation of the series with baited breath.
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Top reviews from other countries

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peter e farago
5.0 out of 5 stars These story is out of regular timeline
Reviewed in Canada on December 4, 2023
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Fantastic. One of the best Batman stories
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Renny Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars Cool Alternative Origin Story
Reviewed in India on May 6, 2024
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Bought it for my nephew. Good story. He finished it in one sitting and liked it very much.
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Stefano guazzone
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in Italy on July 8, 2023
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Good quality product overall with a nice story and art.
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Emil Wisliceny
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Batman origin story
Reviewed in Germany on September 6, 2022
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No more words to say...
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Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Una re-definición del personaje sin perder el toque.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 16, 2019
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Una lectura totalmente disfrutable, que al principio te hace cuestionar cómo seguirá avanzando y con un final que te hace emocionarte enormemente. Buena alteración de algunos personajes pero manteniendo la esencia. El arte de Gary Frank es de mis favoritos y aquí no decepciona.
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